Entertainment

The Celebrity and the Super Fan: A Match Made on Twitter

Does anyone remember how fans used to show support for their favorite celebrities? Before social media, webzines and message boards, fans would write letters to musicians, actors or performers regularly, professing their love, adoration and undying loyalty.

"Before social media, I think fan letters were really the only option out there," said Jennifer Winters, a self-proclaimed New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) mega fan, who has supported the boy band since age 8. "Social media has made being a fan easier because you don't have to wait days and days to get a response back."

What used to be a private interaction between fan and superstar — sending a fan letter and potentially receiving a reply — has become a very public event in the form of a follow, retweet or reply on Twitter. And for many fans, a follow from their favorite artist ranks up there among their most memorable days on Earth.

The Celebrity Follow Back

Laura Caro, a 15-year-old "Belieber" from Ontario, remembers the exact day Justin Bieber followed her on Twitter: Jan. 20, 2013. "I remember perfectly what I was doing. I was getting ready to go out, when suddenly I got a notification that Justin had tweeted, so I immediately went on Twitter and started tweeting like crazy … asking him for a follow."

It may not seem like a long shot to get a follow back from the teen pop star — a celebrity like Justin Bieber has more than 40 million Twitter followers, but also follows more than 122,000 accounts. But Bieber, during any hour of the day, can receive upwards of 100,000 mentions, making chances slim that he will see your tweet.

Caro continued tweeting at Bieber, but she wasn't getting a follow. Then, it happened: "Suddenly, I got a notification, and there it was: 'Justin Bieber followed you,'" she said. "I ran to my sister crying and speechless. I told my mom and she started crying with me because she truly saw how happy it made me. I will never forget that day."

But for every fan Bieber follows, there are potentially millions more who spend each day tweeting at him, asking for a follow and perhaps never finding success.

"I was always that Belieber watching everyone get followed, and I thought it would never be my turn," Caro said. "That out of the 36 million followers he had at that time, he came across my account and followed me. That follow taught me that anything is possible."

When a Celebrity Acknowledges You

We've all been there — or hope to be there one day — when someone we truly admire responds to us on Twitter. It could be in the form of favoriting your tweet, retweeting a post or getting a reply (if you're ever so lucky).

To some, the gesture may not mean much — but it can completely change their outlook on life.

Winters, the NKOTB fan, said that receiving a reply from Donnie Wahlberg or Joey McIntyre could improve her entire day. "It makes you feel like a kid on Christmas morning, almost," she said. "Seriously."

For others, a reply or retweet can be a defining moment in life. "Rihanna has tweeted me [and] I couldn't believe it at first," said Kadesha La'Squeesha, a London-based Rihanna fan and loyal member of the musician's fan community, RihannaNavy. "I thought I was just seeing stuff, and then I kept refreshing the page and the more I refreshed, the more [Rihanna's fans] the Navy tweeted me 'congrats.' When it finally sank in, I ran around the house screaming."

When Justin Bieber retweeted one of Caro's tweets, it was "one of the best days of [her] life," she said. "I went to Justin's page, and there it was — my tweet was on Justin Bieber's Twitter account."

"I just felt this rush of happiness — like nothing could bring me down," Caro said of Bieber's retweet. "It felt like my bond with Justin got tighter because he finally acknowledged my existence. Getting noticed by your idol is honestly the best feeling in the world."

The Fan Community

The novelty of using Twitter to get immediate responses from favorite celebrities is a perk of using social media, but thriving communities of fans and supporters can also enhance the experience for those who want to talk about their fandom.

Caro calls her Belieber fan community her second family. "I have made really good friends through Twitter, thanks to Justin," she added. "I know that if I ever need someone to talk to, they will always be there for me, just like I'll be there for them — because we are a family."

NKOTB fan Winters seconds this. "This isn't just a fandom. It is a family. One I'm proud to be a part of."

For Sean Brennan, a 38-year-old who has supported the World Wrestling Entertainment for more than 30 years, interactions with other WWE fans on Twitter are just as enjoyable as dialogue with WWE stars.

"WWE [fans] like to talk about the story lines and what is going to happen next as we all wait in anticipation for the shows," Brennan said. "We also talk about the things going on in wrestling news. It's a whole lot of fun without a doubt."

How Celebrities Change Lives on Twitter

Celebrities can benefit from engaging on Twitter in financial ways — through increased album sales or a boost in TV viewership, for example — but their relationships with fans can also impact individual supporters through every tweet, follow and retweet.

"As a Belieber, I can tell the effort he puts in to interact with us," Caro said. "Justin actually tries to reply and follow as many people as he can because he knows how happy it makes us. I feel like I get to know him better through every tweet he posts."

For La'Squeesha, Rihanna has changed her life not only through her music, but also through the way she carries herself in public. "Rihanna has definitely made me who I am today," she noted. "She has made me and a lot of [her fans] feel confident with who they are, and if she don't care what people think of the way she is, why shall we? I love Rihanna through thick and thin because she has made me love myself, and that's all I could have asked for."

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